Reclaiming Power
by Nature Sage
Summary: Set 22 years after Link returns to his childhood after Ocarina of Time. I can't really describe too much without giving the whole thing away. Just Link is married to Zelda and their children are a little mischevious. :) Chapter 3 is up!! Wahoo! A mirace!
1. Disturbance

**Reclaiming Power**   
Ch. 1 - Disturbance

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A stirring of the mind.....

My vision appears hazy, but clears up rather quickly. What's going on? There is light.. I barely know what light is anymore..

I glance down at my blood red hand, illuminated in the white light. Still scarred from the battle..

I slowly make my way to the tear in the walls, the slight, accidental rip, no doubt because of a careless action of a careless person. Hah, probably Link! I wonder if Link still lives...

I have no way of knowing the time, the year. How many generations have gone by since my forgotten era of terror. Terror of all those who lived below me, which was about everyone in Hyrule. It didn't bother me that they were afraid. I had what I wanted: the Triforce of Power.

But just one Triforce didn't seem to be enough. I needed more, needed everything. In that lies my main error. I need to learn to let fate take its course. Only a small bit of power is needed for immense destruction; being too power hungry can put your entire life in jeopardy. That was what I had learned from it.

In an instant, I appear right at the tear in the tender fabric of the Sacred Realm. I have my doubts about leaving this place: will I forget everything I figured out? Will I become suddenly crazed with a passionate desire for power? There's only one way to find out...

Taking a deep breath, I emerge from the Evil Realm for the first time in who knew how long. My fears and doubts suddenly leave me. Taking a deep breath of Hylian air, I suddenly remember why it all seemed so important to me, and why I need it back......

Princess Janine lay in the gardens of the remodeled Hyrule Castle, picking daisies and roses for no real reason. She waited for her prince to arrive, though she had a feeling it was never going to happen. She was nearly sixteen years old and still she hadn't met anyone who even interested her. Her mother kept telling her about how she hadn't been married until she was sixteen, then she'd cough and remember quietly that she was actually fifteen. Poor Janine, at least, wasn't alone.

I handsome, young prince strode up to her, running his hand through his golden hair. "Janine?" he asked carefully.

"I don't know where he is," she said, without looking up. "You know he hasn't been feeling well."

"How did you know I was looking for dad?" he asked, astonished.

"We're twins. I know you," she said, finally looking up. Her golden-blonde hair halfway hid her smile. "Besides, all you want to do lately is train at archery and fencing."

He smiled modestly, sitting down with his sister. "And all you want to do is sit here picking flowers for when the man of your dreams shows up," he teased, watching her face turn slightly crimson.

"We're going to have to get married sometime," she said reasonably. "Mom, Dad, and Grandpa aren't going to be around forever. We need families of our own to take their place."

"But we're not going to get married unless we go try to meet someone. Now let's go to Gerudo Valley and see if they'll let us use the archery course."

"There are no eligible men there!" Janine complained, taking her brother's hand as he pulled her to her feet.

He grinned. "No, but there are plenty of women!"

"Ewww! You are NOT marrying a Gerudo! They're thieves!"

Despite her complaining, she went along with him to the castle stable. The fiery red horse was absolutely perfect for their journey. Epona was the best behaved horse they had, especially for their father.

"We can't make too much noise, girl," Prince Jason whispered. "Dad doesn't know we're going."

"Mom is going to completely flip on you!" Janine hissed. "Unless Dad gets to you first; then you'd better hope you've practiced enough fencing!"

Epona, once out of the stable, neighed noisily. Princess Zelda rushed out onto her balcony, followed by a staggering Link. "What do you two think you're doing?"

"Good girl, Epona," Link coughed. The horse whinnied in agreement.

"Both of you get in here at once! There's someone here to see you," Zelda said sternly. "No, Janine; it's not a suitor, and no, Jason; it's not a lady. It is a girl, but not one you're interested in."

Sighing, the twins trudged back up to the castle, after repenning Epona.

"Hi guys," the red-haired girl said. She'd been waiting for them near the side entrance to the castle. "Are you busy today?"

"Naw," Jason said. "Why? You have something planned for us, Kelsey?"

The girl grinned. "Of course. When don't I?"

The three of them strolled aimlessly through the castle halls. "What fun-filled adventuresome place do you have planned for us this time? The zoo?" the prince teased. The girls muffled their giggles.

"It's much more interesting than my previous plan," Kelsey laughed. "The picnic at the lake was definitely a flop."

"When it rained the entire time and we had to make the picnic blanket into a tent?" Janine recalled. "Yeah, that was a little difficult."

Kelsey beamed in excitement. "This time...we're infiltrating the Gerudo's Hideout!"

The twins exchanged a hopeful glance. "We're in," they said in unison.

"Great," she said, nodding in satisfaction. "No one knows we're going, so if we get caught we'll rot there for all of eternity."

"Oh, that makes us want to go even more," Janine laughed dryly. "I'm totally up for being held captive by psychotic Gerudo warriors! Let's go!"

And so, the three of them sneaked off to Gerudo Valley to retrieve an artifact from the leader's chamber.

"I'm glad you got here quick," Zelda said to Malon. "He keeps getting worse."

"Good thing I studied medicine and healing a while back," Malon said to herself. After trying several potions, none of which seemed to work, Zelda had sent for Malon to see what exactly was wrong with her husband.

Link fell asleep rather quickly after he got up; he had been sleeping a lot recently. Zelda, on the other hand, had been having horrible nightmares of which she would not reveal the nature. Only that they were too disturbing to allow her to get decent rest. He kept muttering strange things in his slumber, but when he awoke, he couldn't remember why.

Malon inspected Link closely. "He's not eating enough," she commented. "Probably having problems holding the food down. I know all too well that Link is a healthy eater. He's very pale. Telling the truth, I'm not exactly sure what's wrong. But I have a feeling it's not something natural."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked fearfully.

"Someone is using magic to make Link this way. And whoever that is has far more power than you can even begin to imagine."

The princess froze, staring into Malon's deep green eyes. "You mean he's going to die?" she asked fearfully, biting her lip.

"No," Malon said reassuringly. "Magic alone cannot kill. It can just make its victim very illness-prone. I'm sorry, Zelda."

Her head sank into her hands, and she let the tears fall freely from her eyes. Link was going to die before the week was out, she could just feel it.

Jason peered around the corner. "Now what?" he hissed, trying to avoid being seen by the defensive Gerudo.

"Go up the stairs, moron," Janine said. She shot out ahead of him, running up the stairs. Before long, the three of them were caught.

"Freeze dirtbag!" one of the Gerudo yelled, running toward the princess with her spear outstretched. Kelsey and Jason shook their heads in mourning, until Janine turned toward them and yelled:

"GUYS! Aren't you going to help me out?"

After that, they were all knocked out.

A great clang awoke Janine from her unconsciousness. She glanced around, frightened.

"You're okay," a somewhat harsh voice said. Keys dangling from her hands were the source of the clanging. "I'm Rikaaya. You're the Princess of Hyrule, correct?"

"Correct," she said slowly. "Why are you releasing me?" she asked when the Gerudo started unlocking the cell.

"You are needed. Come with me."

Without a word, she did just that. They marched quietly to the cells of Jason and Kelsey, who were also freed by Rikaaya. She turned to face the three of them after she was certain that all was safe. "There has been a terrible mistake," she said quitely.

"What kind of mistake?" Kelsey asked nervously. 

"Ganondorf, the King of Evil, has broken free of his prison in the Sacred Realm. A tear was found in the skies near the Spirit Temple, where the Evil King must have slipped through. We are in need of the Hero of Time to aide his kingdom while hardly a soul knows it is in danger." 

"Do you think she's making this up?" whispered Jason, leaning close to his sister's ear. 

"No," she replied trustingly. "It's true. I can just tell." Jason shrugged and listened to the Gerudo's talk. 

She narrowed her eyes at the prince, but said not a word to him. Instead, she spoke to the group. "I was hoping you could take me to the castle and get your father, Link, to come with us back here. He alone has the power to destroy Ganondorf. Many Gerudo leaders would have me killed for even mentioning his demise, so I am risking my life by just talking to you. You _have_ to trust me. 

Kelsey sighed. "This was my stupid idea, so I guess it's my call, too. We'll do it." 

"Wait," Janine said suddenly. "Daddy hasn't been feeling good lately. Should we ask him anyway?" 

Rikaaya shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. Maybe he'll be feeling well enough to help us by the time we get to the castle. Thank you for agreeing to my plea." 

"No problem," Jason said uneasily. As much as he loved a good adventure, just like his father, there was something he didn't quite trust about this Gerudo girl. A thief should never be trusted, he told himself, sliently following the girls toward the exit. 

~end of ch. 1~ 

So whaddya think? I know, I know; I'm starting WAY too many things that need additional chapters. I'll find time, I will! Comments? Suggestions? Something random you just feel like saying? Put it in the review! Please, please review! :) Thanks!


	2. Returning to the Castle

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Reclaiming Power  
Ch. 2 - Returning to the Castle

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There was a bear. It looked like a bear, anyway. I couldn't really tell. 

I'm standing in the middle of Hyrule Field, except nothing is the way it's supposed to be. I can see Romani Ranch on the hill, in place of Lon Lon. I foolishly decide to investigate it. Even now, I know it's a stupid thing to do. But dreams don't always allow you the option. 

As I draw nearer to the ranch, the images around me get more garbled and twisted. The green grass turns into a large violet puddle. I see all this happening, it just doesn't phase me. I barely seem to care. 

I thought the cow was a bear. I suddenly remember my illness, and realize that it's the cause of this bizarre stretch of my imagination. I feel slightly relieved that I'm not a complete psycho. 

Something feels wrong. As I step into the gateway to the ranch, I realize that the world is all messed up. This isn't Hyrule, this is Termina! It looks like it, anyway. It still feels like home. 

Even in my slumber, I feel my eyes flutter open a bit. I can see the worried gaze in Zelda's violet eyes. I wish there was a way for me to comfort her, but I'm still asleep. I've learned, during the past few days, that I can't awaken until my dream is over. It's the weirdest thing. But when I do wake, I don't remember what happened to me. 

There's Romani! Her childish giggle immediately grabs my attention. She frolics around in the field, just as she did when I was little. I feel my heart melt as she rushes over toward me. I stoop down to give her a hug. 

"Grasshopper!" she cries happily. "You came back! I knew you would!" 

I affectionately ruff the hair on her small head. Only then does the fact strike me: she hasn't grown up. I find it odd, but manage to ignore it. 

My eyes flutter again. Zelda is standing there looking so worried, but she sees the tiny smile on my face. Romani was my shining light in Termina, the one I ran to when I needed to talk. She was so much like Zelda in that way.

Romani grabs my finger in her tiny hand. "Come on, let's practice! Those ghosts won't get our cows this year!"

I laugh and run after her to the course. Epona neighs softly, kicking up some dirt with her hoof. I mount her and readily pull out my bow. "Go!"

Epona and I ride through the field, toward the chicken house. Worry passes over me as I realize that the objects in the distance aren't balloons. I squint my eyes, trying to see more clearly, and suddenly a bolt of magic knocks me to the ground next to Epona, and I'm being dragged along by Skull Kid.

I scream as my hands slip off of his leg, but instead of hitting the ground like I did before, I fall into an endless abyss, the evil laughter of Ganondorf echoing through my mind. Then it all stops.

Zelda glanced worriedly at Malon. "He said 'Romani,'" she whispered, taking her husband's sweaty hand. His smile had disappeared, replaced by a look of anguish and fear. "Is Romani some sort of illness? Is it a type of dark magic?"

Malon shrugged, taking Link's other hand. "Never heard of it. I've heard Link mention the word a few times before, but he never explained it to me."

"So it's not bad," the princess sighed in relief. "I was so worried. Thank you for coming, Malon, but I'm sure your family is beginning to worry..."

"Don't worry about it," she assured, quickly gathering her things. "Kelsey is probably off playing with your children now, anyway. It would be best for me to leave, though, I suppose. Can you send someone to get my daughter please?"

"Oh, sure," Zelda said, reluctantly leaving Link's side and fetching a guard or free servant.

Meanwhile, the sun was setting over Hyrule Field. Prince Jason, Princess Janine, Malon's daughter Kelsey, and a Gerudo girl named Rikaaya were just approaching Lon Lon Ranch. It normally took a full day to travel from Hyrule Castle to Gerudo Valley and back, but poor Epona couldn't carry all those people. She was getting old, after all. 

"Can we just stay here the night?" Janine begged her friend. "My feet are _killing_ me!" 

"My mom's not here," Kelsey said appoligetically. "Besides, Daddy's probably drunk and..." 

"Forget it," Jason said quickly, leading the group. He kept Rikaaya in the corner of his eye, expecting her to pull a knife on them or something. He didn't - and could probably never - trust the girl, or any theif for that matter. Things were looking worse and worse as the light grew more dim. Finally she stepped in front of him, a determined glare in her eyes. 

"We stop here for the night," she said firmly. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut in again. "Look at that horse! She can't make it too much further before she gives in!" 

Jason sighed, dropping Epona's reins. "Fine, we camp here. Keep behind the ranch entrance; we don't want a drunken idiot raging out at us. Stay away from any windows, too." 

Satesfied, the Gerudo pulled the butterfly clip out of her flowing, fiery red hair. It fell gracefully onto her shoulders and poured down her back. She handed the clip to the prince, who gave her a confused glance. "It's yours for the night. Please keep it off of the ground, will you?" 

"Sure," he said, dropping the clip into his pouch. _Whatever_, he thought, settling down on the ground. 

Janine stared at the grass, hatred in her eyes. "Why do we have to sleep _here_?" she demanded, kicking her brother gently. "I'm a princess! I shouldn't sleep in mud!" 

"It's not mud, it's grass," Kelsey said quietly. "There's mud over there, if you'd rather." 

"No, thank you," she snapped, laying stiffly on the ground. Before long, she drifted off to sleep, warmth and happiness dancing in her dreams. 

"They said they'll keep looking," Malon said worriedly, closing the door to Link and Zelda's room. She quickly sat at Zelda's side. "I'm so afraid for them!" 

"I can't understand why Jason and Janine would do something like this," she said in disbelief, still holding her husband's hand. He hadn't improved much in his condition; in fact, he'd gotten slightly worse. "If they don't get back soon, they might not even get to say goodbye..." 

The princess hung her head in sorrow, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Malon took her free hand and held it comfortingly. "I'm sure he'll be okay, at least until the kids get back. Whatever is killing him won't penetrate his love for his family. Don't worry, Princess." 

She glanced out the window, wondering if the children were okay. Kelsey had never been out past ten o'clock before. There must be something wrong. She decicively pulled on her cloak and left the room, leaving Zelda slightly confused and Link still in need of her help. 

Malon sneaked around the guards, barely dodging their sight. She crept out into the field and happily set off toward home, Lon Lon Ranch. Her pace was quick, and she hummed a soft tune in time with her steps. She was certain that the children were just around the corner. 

"Malon," someone whispered. She quickly stopped and turned around, seeing no one behind her. The deep voice sounded very familiar.. "Malon," it said again, causing chills to run up her spine. 

"Who's there?" she stuttered, constantly turning to see her follower. "Who is this?" 

Two rough hands grabbed her arms, pulling her face-to-face with the person. All she could really see was his sinister red eyes. She gasped, her face going pale. "I'm your worst nightmare," he hissed. After that, the girl fainted. 

At that very second, Link shot out of bed, clutching his wife's hand as tightly as he could. "Link!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Are you okay? What happened?" 

"I..Mal..but.." he mumbled. "She..she..Ganon..eeehhhhhhh..." 

Zelda cried out in frustration. "What are you talking about!? Look, just go back to sleep. It's okay." 

"No..but..you don't understand," he said, this time more awake. "She's gone." 

Zelda just gaped at him for a few seconds. "You mean..forever?" 

He didn't answer; he just looked to the ground and whispered, "I'm sorry." They held each other's hands, tears streaming from their eyes. If anyone did not deserve this fate, they were sure it was Malon. 

Jason opened one eye, focusing it immediately on Rikaaya. It looked like she was prowling through his knapsack. He immediately grabbed his dagger and crept up behind the girl. After a few seconds of consideration, he tackled her and held the dagger to her throat. 

"What are you doing?" she gasped, trying to pry his arm off of her. 

"I suggest you leave my stuff alone," he said coldly. He released her arm and pulled the dagger away. "Don't think I don't know a theif when I see one." 

"That's just because I'm a Gerudo," she snapped. "Surprise! Not _all_ Gerudo are theives! Wow, imagine that, Prince Charming! 

"Most are," he retorted, "and I have every reason to believe that you're one of them." 

Rikaaya stepped back in resent. "Excuse me? I'm the one who came to you for _help_! I could have NOT risked my life and just let Gonondorf take over! But no, I wanted to be safe and keep you in power. Din knows why, now! To think, you'll be the King someday! Hah!" 

Jason stepped back as well, very offended. "Well I'd make a better King than you would Queen! 

"I _am_ gonna be the queen! I'm Nabooru's neice! She has no children of her own, so I am next in line for the throne. And I ruined it all to save you." 

The prince had no comment for that. He just glanced around and noticed that they had awakened Princess Janine and Kelsey. He sighed and quiclky apologized, starting off again for the castle. His sister hurried over to walk next to him. 

"That was kind of rude of you," she said softly as Kelsey comforted Rikaaya, who was almost crying hysterically. "She's saving the kingdom by enlisting Daddy's help. The least you can do is give her the benifit of the doubt." 

"Dad would have saved us anyway," he said stubbornly, leaving her behind. She sighed and went back to join the others. 

"I wasn't going through his stuff to _take_ anything," she whispered, tears in her emerald eyes. "I just wanted my clip back!" 

"Don't worry about it," Janine said, biting her lip. "My brother over there is just a little cranky in the mornings. Don't tell him I said that or he'll literally kill me. His temper is about that long," she said, holding her fingers close together. 

"After this is all over," Rikaaya said slowly, "tell him that I'm sorry." 

"Okay," Kelsey assured her. "Only a little longer to go and we'll be home again. Then Link can leave to help you and me and mom will go home. Dad should be okay by now..." 

"Let's hope so," Janine said as they approached the drawbridge. Rikaaya was cautious to cross, as Gerudo were not openly welcomed in the market, but she managed to stay fairly well hidden between the royals. When the group reached the castle gates, Janine abruptly turned and said to Rikaaya, "You have to stay here. There's no telling _what_ would happen if Mom or Dad saw you." 

"Okay," she said, watching the other three scampering up to the bedroom. She glanced around warily and noticed a large group of guards heading her way. "Janine didn't say to stay here if my life was in danger," she decided quickly, running after the group. 

~end of ch. 2~ 

Well how do you like it? I think it's okay. Really, this is the first story of mine that I don't completely hate. Just partially. ^_^   
Anyway, please review. I always beg for reviews, has anyone noticed that besides me? :) Thank you!


	3. Start the Journey

Reclaiming Power  
Chapter 3  
  
A/N:Hi guys, I'm back! I wrote something, too! ^_^;  
I'm really sorry if the following letters are missing from any part of my fic: m, u, t, p, z, 8, s, d, a  
Those buttons on my keyboard tend to not work anymore. They *usually* do, but not all the time, and I might not always catch it. Also, my spellcheck is dead and the shift button doesn't work properly. Heh. Don't worry though; I'm fairly good with spelling. End of a/n.  
  
  
  
Jason, Janine, and Kelsey trudged up the last of the stairs, all three of them out of breath. The castle stairs were way too long, they decided. They rested for a moment at the top, then started down the hallway to Link and Zelda's bedroom.  
  
Jason reached the door first, noting that it was slightly ajar. His expression hardened when he stopped to listen for a second.  
  
"What is it?" Janine, his twin sister, asked in a panic.  
  
"It's Mom," he said, sounding concerned. "She's crying. What if Dad..?"  
  
That was all he needed to say for the princess to shove past her brother and barge straight into the room. "Well!?" she cried. "What happened? Is Daddy okay?"  
  
"I'm fine," Link said weakly, still hugging the sobbing Zelda. Janine raced over and hugged him as well. "It's Malon.. she's dead. At least, I'm pretty sure she's dead."  
  
"What?" Kelsey cried. "My mom? DEAD? That can't..but..I.."  
  
"It's okay, Kels," Jason said kindly, still standing back with her. "Everything's okay. Maybe..well..maybe.."  
  
"See?" she said dismally, tears welling up in her eyes. "You can't say anything that proves that she's okay, and that must - it *must* - mean she's dead."  
  
Janine just sat on her parents' bed in shock. Malon was like a second mother to her, and to her brother. Now she was gone. This only made the princess think of one thing: Revenge.  
  
Zelda continued sobbing, and Link continued holding her and stoking her hair. All of a sudden, the hero cried out, clutching his chest as though he'd been stabbed. Janine let out a yelp and jumped up from the bed, backing away in fear. The three children watched in horror as Link fell victim to a mysterious pain that kept stabbing at him, and Zelda freaked out and tried desperately to make everything better.  
  
"Hey," someone whispered from the doorway. Kelsey turned around and saw Rikaaya, looking confused. She motioned for the three of them to join her in the hallway, which they did.  
  
"Rikaaya.." Janine said, almost feeling sorry for the Gerudo girl. She looked as if she was about to cry. When the princess noticed this, Rikaaya just turned away and wiped her face with her sleeve.  
  
"Listen," she said coldly. "We obviously can't take your father with us, so we'll have to use our own abilities and talents to win this thing. Okay?"  
  
"Okay," Kelsey said, which surprised everyone. Her tears had turned from sorrow to anger. She smiled when she noticed that everyone was surprised her eagerness to fight. "My mother was killed, and probably by our enemy. There is no way I'm going to let her go like this. I'll fight for her like she would have fought for me."  
  
"Yeah.." Jason said, smiling faintly. "Well, if we're going, we need weapons. Come on; the training room has all sorts of stuff we can use."  
  
The group made their way back down the stairs, snuck past the guards, and got into the training room. The prince rumaged through piled of weapons and equipment until he found four sheilds that looked like they could take some hits for them. He gave each of them one, but when he got to Rikaaya, she refused.  
  
"I've got a sheild already," she said simply. Jason shrugged and put hers back, eyeing her suspiciously. Well, whatever, he finally thought.  
  
He searched another pile for a few more minutes until he successfully pulled out a sword, a bow, a quiver, and five daggers. He got the sword and two daggers, Kelsey got the bow, quiver, and one dagger, and Janine got the remaining two daggers. Rikaaya, again, refused to take anything.  
  
"What do I get to fight with?" Janine asked, staring at her daggers. "I doubt I can do much damage with *this.*"  
  
"Be patient, woman," he laughed. "I've got something special in mind for you."  
  
He led the way through the halls, while the other three trailed behind. "Where are we going?" Kelsey asked quietly, examining her bow.  
  
"I don't know," Janine admitted. "I've never been to this part of the castle before."  
  
"Why not?" Rikaaya asked, surprised. "This is your home."  
  
"Yeah, but *look* at it," she said, disgusted. "It's all grungy and dirty and I was afraid of the rats and stuff."  
  
"Rats?" the others said in unison. They had identical frightened looks on their faces. Janine just laughed and quickened her pace to catch up with her brother.  
  
Jason opened the door at the end of the hall. He tried, anyway; the door was locked. "No problem," he said to himself. He pulled out a dagger and looked to Rikaaya. "You don't, by any chance, know how to pick a lock, do you?"  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'm a theif, l know all about breaking and entering." Dispite her sarcastic voice, she took the dagger and picked the lock, true to her word. Jason opened the door and gestured for the ladies to enter first. Rikaaya rolled her eyes again and went in. As soon as she entered, though, she froze.  
  
"Wow," Kelsey remarked. "It's the Triforce."  
  
"ARE YOU INSANE!?" Janine demanded. Jason jumped back, frightened from his sister's screaming. "That's the TRIFORCE, you idiot! That's what the bad guys are after!"  
  
"Exactly," he replied, staring at it with pride. "If *you* have it, *they* can't get it."  
  
"You're an idiot," she snapped, walking over to it. She took a deep breath and randomly grabbed one of the pieces. "There. Happy now?"  
  
The other three stared past the princess and at the two-pieced Triforce. "It.. it's gone!"  
  
"What!?" Janine cried, turning around in horror. It had faded away into nothing. She turned back to her friends, her face pale. "This is bad. This is very bad. What is Mom going to say?"  
  
Just then, a scream was heard from upstairs. The twins instantly recognized the voice as Zelda's. Jason looked back at his sister, his eyes laughing. "You're in deep. You're practically dead."  
  
"What are you talking about? This was your idea!"  
  
"Hey, you took it, not me."  
  
The scream was repeated, only in a much angrier tone. This time it was a scream of frustration and rage. The four of them trembled as they realized that she was coming for them. The ceiling practially shook as the enraged Zelda stormed down to the Triforce room. Janine stuck the Triforce piece behind her back. As if that would stop Zelda from seeing it, as it illuminated the corner of the room in a bright green glow.  
  
The door burst opened, and she walked calmy into the room. Too calmly. To the twins, it looked like she was about to snap. They both held their breath in terror.  
  
"Who did this?" she asked quietly, holding up a radiant, blue Triforce piece. The girls all pointed at Jason, while he pointed at his sister.  
  
"Aw, that's not fair," he said in defeat. He dismally turned to his mother. "I'm sorry, Mom. But we were going to fight some bad guys and Janine had no weapon. I though she could use the magic. We're sorry."  
  
"You mean *you're* sorry," Janine piped up. Jason shot her a look.  
  
Much to thier surprise, Zelda did not flip out. She didn't yell and she didn't scream. She just took a deep breath and handed an astonished Jason the Triforce of Wisdom. "There. Protect it with your life. I can't take it because Link isn't well, and you have a better chance of keeping it safe than I do. Whatever you needed it for must have been important anyway." She also handed him the dazzlingly beautiful and radiant Ocarina of Time, their family's keepsake. She stared into his eyes. They were just like hers, bright and violet, glimmering with hope and a hint of fear. She smiled at him and let go of his hand. "Now, go on and save the world."  
  
She calmly - and again, *too* calmly - left the room, letting the group to go off on a quest that she knew nothing about. Jason turned to his sister after a few moments of silence. "That was weird."  
  
"Yeah," she agreed. "I guess we'd better go."  
  
The four of them headed out of the dark, murky hallway, inwardly dreading their adventure but acting tough on the outside. They paused only to say goodbye to the King, who wasn't really paying any attention when they did.  
  
"Very well then," he said cheerfully, "and do say goodbye to your mother! Nayru knows what she'd do if you didn't! I remember once, years back, when your father didn't say goodbye to her..ooh, did he regret it in the morning! He and Saria were going fishing..." After that much, they kind of left him there remembering days long past.  
  
Janine took a deep breath and stepped out of the castle walls. 'This is it,' she thought. 'The start of our journey. I really, *really* hope we make it through this.'  
  
"Okay guys," Jason said, as if he'd read her thoughts. "This is it. Let's go."  
  
The group started along down the path toward Lon-Lon Ranch, planning to pass it and go on to Gerudo Valley. They would then make their way to the Spirit Temple within the Haunted Wasteland. This would clearly be a long journey, as they weren't even sure that was where they were supposed to go.  
  
"Rikaaya," someone whispered. The Gerudo girl turned around defensively, but there was nothing there.  
  
"Did you guys just hear that?" she asked uneasily.  
  
"Hear what?" Jason wondered.  
  
She shook her head. Probably just a memory..  
  
"Rikaaya," it said again.  
  
"WHO IS THAT!?" she screamed.  
  
"Rikaaya," the voice taunted, "do you know what happens when my minions turn on me?"  
  
Her dark, tanned face turned pale. "Wh..what are you talking about?"  
  
"I'll tell you," it laughed. All of a sudden, a dozen Stalfos appeared around them. Everyone cried out in shock and terror. "THEY DIE!"  
  
The Stalfos instantly attacked. Kelsey screamed and ducked just in time to avoid losing her head. Hysterically, she shot an arrow at it and totally missed. She screamed again and fainted.  
  
Jason fought two of them off at once, and they disappeared when they were defeated. He sent a blast of magic from the Triforce at Kelsey's attacker but also missed. Fortunately for her, the Stalfos turned to the prince and attacked him instead.  
  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Janine screamed. She shot several beams of magic at the three Stalfos attacking her, and hit one of them. "Hah! That makes three down, and.. um.. Kels?"  
  
"Nine to go," Rikaaya told her after killing one. "Eight, now."  
  
"Thanks," she said bitterly, shooting again at the remaining two that were after her. One of them raised his sheild and deflected the blast, and it happened to deflect straight back at her. In a panic, the princess forgot about her own sheild and raised her arm feebly. In an instand, that arm was gone.  
  
"Oh, by the Goddesses!" Rikaaya cried, seeing what had happened to Janine.  
  
"My arm..my arm.." she repeated, over and over. She sank to the ground in a daze. "But there's no blood..and my arm.." She lost awareness of anything until much later, when the sun had gone down and the camp was set up.  
  
"Oh, you are okay," Kelsey said kindly. "We were worried about you."  
  
"Wh..."  
  
Jason sat down next to his sister. "I saved your arm with the Triforce," he said softly. "You have your arm back."  
  
"She's not listening to you," the Gerudo said bluntly. "Just let her sleep."  
  
"..Okay," he said uneasily, leaving her once more.  
  
~•~ ~•~ ~•~  
  
"Owww," the princess moaned, sitting up from her makeshift bed. Her head hurt and her arm hurt. "What happened?"  
  
She looked around and saw no one. The camp was still set up and everything, but there were no people there. No one except Rikaaya.  
  
"Where did they go?" she asked stupidly.  
  
Rikaaya sighed. "They went back to the town," she explained, "to buy supplies."  
  
"Why did they leave you here?"  
  
"Because they thought I could protect you better," the Gerudo said sourly. "I have better fighting skills.. because I'm a Gerudo."  
  
"Oh.." Janine frowned. "That's not fair."  
  
"No, it's not."  
  
"Um..yeah. I'm sorry I was asleep and we all couldn't have gone."  
  
Rikaaya laughed bitterly. "No, no. My theivery skills weren't needed this time. I'll be the one going shopping when Jason runs out of money."  
  
The princess frowned again. It wasn't really fair that Jason only called on Rikaaya when something needed to be stolen or a battle needed to be fought. She didn't know how to fix it, though, so she shut her mouth and temporarily forgot about the subject. "I hope they bring back some food. I'm starving."  
  
"..Yeah."  
  
A few hours later, they were back, with bagloads of food and supplies. Of course, they ate immediately, then set off for the desert. "It should only take us a few days to get there," he said reasonably. "I mean, we're still near the castle walls. If we're lucky, it'll take us two."  
  
"We all care how long it will take us," Janine snapped. "Let's just go."  
  
"I see you're back to normal," Kelsey laughed.  
  
True to his word, Jason got them there in just under two days, allowing only one rest stop the whole time. Janine was quick to blame him for not getting horses like he should have, and for not getting enough food, although they had plenty to get them through at least another week.  
  
"What if I got hungry?" she had demanded.  
  
"You'd have to eat the grass out of the field," he'd said sarcastically.  
  
"Well if you had remembered the stupid *horses* then I wouldn't *have* to eat out of the field because THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN US THERE BY NOW!!!!!!!!"  
  
Princess Janine was not fun to travel with.  
  
When they finally got to Gerudo Valley, Rikaaya stopped everyone just outside the entrance to the fortress. "Remember, you guys," she said sternly, "if you get caught, you'll most likely be killed."  
  
"What!?" Janine screamed, ready to fly into another fit of rage.  
  
"And what if *you* get caught?"  
  
"I'll deny any association with you and, most likely, get away free."  
  
"...I hate you."  
  
She smirked, then turned to Jason. "You and Janine can use those Triforces to make yourselves invisible while I get the guard at the entrance to the Haunted Wasteland to open the gate, okay?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
They excecuted the plan exactly, and the gate was opened for them. As they were making their way across the sand, however, the invisibility wore off.  
  
"Hey! It's the Princess!"  
  
"Get them!"  
  
"RUN!!"  
  
The four of them ran out into the Haunted Wasteland, into the flying sands. "We lost them," a guard said, rather loudly. "They're as good as dead, anyway."  
  
Kelsey fidgeted nervously. "We're.. we're not really gonna *die*, right guys?"  
  
"..Right, Kels," Jason said, trying to sound truthful.  
  
For a few hours, the group just wandered around aimlessly in the Haunted Wasteland. No one knew where they were supposed to go. Rikaaya pretended that she did, but Janine was certain that they were only getting more lost. After nearly half the day had passed, the prince had an idea.  
  
"I'll use the Triforce," he declared, proud of himself. "The sand will calm, and we'll be able to see!"  
  
Everyone just stared blankly. "Why didn't you tell us that before!?" Janine finally shouted. The others snickered behind her.  
  
Jason got out his blue Triforce piece. "Um..Triforce?" he said, not quite sure what to do. "Could you please get rid of the sand for us?"  
  
"It shall be done," the Triforce said.  
  
"Wow!" Kelsey exclamied. "It talks!"  
  
"Yeah.." he said, watching in amazement as the flying sands around them began to settle back to the ground. As the dust cleared, the group could see a shrine-type palace far off in the distance.  
  
"That's it!" Rikaaya cried. "That's the Spirit Temple! Let's go!"  
  
"It looks pretty far away," Kelsey said, biting her lip. "Do you think our supplies will hold out?"  
  
"WHAT!?" Janine shouted, enraged once again. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLIES!? I TOLD YOU TO GET HORSES BUT NOOOO, WE COULDN'T!!! YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE COMMON SENSE TO - "  
  
"Janine!" Rikaaya yelled. "Shut up! It's not really all that far off! We have enough supplies, I'm sure of it. It's the heat that's getting to you and making you irratable. Plus, the lack of water.."  
  
"Lack of water?"  
  
The Gerudo girl smiled innocently and held up the water jug. She flipped it upside down and nothing fell out.  
  
"WWAAAAAAA!!! HOW COULD YOU, YOU LITTLE WENCH!? YOU DRANK ALL OUR WATER! AAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"  
  
Jason and Kelsey held the princess back from murdering Rikaaya while she went on about the water problem. "There's a spring in the area over there," she said, pointing toward the Temple. "We can all get water there, so just relax! Now come on, let's go. Don't want to die of dehydration before you get there, hmm?"  
  
"AAHHH! THAT'S IT! YOU ARE SO DEAD!"  
  
With that, the group took off for the Spirit Temple, being chased by Janine.  
  
~End of Chapter~  
  
More A/N: Okay, I'll admit, it's a little weird. It's long, though, plus I actually *wrote* it. So there's something good. ^_^;; Well I was perfectly content to just not finish the story, but nooo, I started feeling all guilty and stuff! Hehe. Sorry it took like forever. Please review! As always! I *do* always beg for reviews, don't I? Okay, I'm rambling, so I'll shut up now! Chapter 4 up.. sometime soon! Hopefully! Bye!  
  
Oh yeah, and if you see any spelling problems please tell me. Thanks! 


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